Jean Marsh Movies
Dancer/model Jean Marsh appeared in her first film, Tales of Hoffman, at the age of 17. For those out there who associate Marsh with prim, severe roles, it will probably come as a mild surprise to discover that she made her first American TV appearance as a sexy, sloe-eyed native girl in a Hallmark Hall of Fame production of The Moon and Sixpence. Laboring in comparative obscurity throughout the 1960s (she was uncredited for her appearance as Marc Antony's wife Octavia in 1963's Cleopatra), Marsh began attracting attention in the 1970s in roles calling for tight-lipped outrage (Hitchcock's 1972 Frenzy) or glazed-eyed lunacy (Mrs. Rochester in the 1971 TV movie version of Jane Eyre). After nearly 20 years in the business, Marsh was voted "Most Outstanding New Actress of 1972" by a British film organization. She achieved international stardom (and won an Emmy) as Rose the maid in Upstairs Downstairs, a multipart British television series co-created by Marsh and actress Eileen Atkins. Subsequent TV-series work included the part of Roz Keith on the American sitcom 9 to 5 and the 1990s British TVer The House of Eliott, which like Upstairs Downstairs sprang largely from Marsh's personal creative input. Jean Marsh was at one time married to Dr. Who star Jon Pertwee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Produced for the BBC in 2001, The Mayor of Casterbridge is the second British miniseries version of Thomas Hardy's 1886 novel (the first was filmed in 1978). This time, Ciarán Hinds stars as Michael Henchard, an unemployed drunkard who, in a moment of greedy delirium, sells his wife, Susan (Juliet Aubrey), and their infant daughter, Elizabeth Jane, to a passing sailor -- for a price of five pounds. Sobering up the next day, Henchard conducts a frenzied search for his family, only to find that they have already gone. Swearing off liquor, Henchard promises to re-invent himself as a solid and dependable citizen. He succeeds so thoroughly in this endeavor that, 18 years later, he has risen to the rank of mayor of Casterbridge. About to make his reformation complete by wedding attractive young Lucetta (Polly Walker), Henchard is aghast to discover that his wife and now-grown daughter (played as an adult by Jodhi May), have returned home. Hounded by his conscience, Henchard bends over backward to make amends to his loved ones -- only to revert to his old, disreputable self when things go terribly wrong. Meanwhile, a new intrigue has blossomed vis-à-vis a romantic triangle involving Elizabeth Jane, Lucetta, and handsome, righteous Donald Farfrae (James Purefoy). The Mayor of Casterbridge made its U.S. debut August 17, 2003, on the A&E cable channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ciarán Hinds, James Purefoy, (more)
- 2000
A commoner has an unusual run-in with the King of England in this offbeat historical drama. In 1547, Thorn (James Coombes) is employed as a servant and caretaker by a wealthy British landowner who has put Thorn in charge of his mansion while he's away for the winter. One night, Thorn is terrified to hear what he imagines are armed bandits breaking into the mansion, and he hides in fear of his life. However, Thorn soon discovers he has a very different breed of unexpected guests. With political unrest sweeping England, King Henry VIII (T.P. McKenna) is travelling incognito while trying to bring stability back to his domain, but his coach has been attacked by thieves and the wounded king needs a place to rest. Henry isn't so sure that the ambush was a simple robbery, however -- he thinks it could have been a cleverly disguised assassination attempt, and one of the advisors travelling with the king agrees. As Thorn observes the political intrigue that has suddenly appeared on his doorstep, he also has to deal with the randy goings-on of Henry VIII's assistants, who are openly and flamboyantly gay. Monarch was the first dramatic feature from documentary filmmaker John Walsh. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- T.P. McKenna, Jean Marsh, (more)
Agatha Christie's super sleuth Mark Easterbrook gets involved with a trio of contemporary witches while looking into the death of a priest. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Buchanan, Jayne Ashbourne, (more)
This film presents the story of the triumvirate of British friends and poets Byron, Shelley, and Keats. The three men were major literary figures of the Romantic Movement of the early 19th century. British actress Jean Marsh hosts a group of actors who play the three poets, as well as other people of the era. There are selected readings from the works of the authors, and dramatizations of their lives and the tumultuous times in which they lived and wrote. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1994
What if Germany had won WW II and successfully taken over Europe? Based on a novel by Robert Harris, this compelling drama is set in just such a world, 30 years after the Germans defeated the Allies at Normandy on D-Day. By this time, the country is known as Germania and since the war it has been at odds with the United States. In hopes of bringing peace, the two government leaders, Hitler and president Joseph Kennedy Sr. are planning a historic summit in hopes of obtaining detente. It's a tense situation and matters are made worse when an SS detective and an American reporter begin investigating a series of murders. Together, they discover a horrible and long-suppressed secret: Hitler and his regime were responsible for the deaths of over six million Jews during the war. Armed with this damning information, the two must hurry to the summit to stop President Kennedy from making a terrible mistake. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Miranda Richardson, (more)
- 1993
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is back in London, there to attend the opening night of a play based on one of her novel's. The play's producer (Robin Sachs) has a reputation for ruthlessness and duplicity, so it really surprises no one when he is murdered. Nor can anyone be surprised when Jessica (Angela Lansbury) takes it upon herself to prove that the play's leading lady (Jean Marsh) is not the murderer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Written by George Eliot (of Silas Marner fame), the 1859 novel Adam Bede trenchantly addresses the issues of ingrained social prejudices. Played in this British TV adaptation by Iain Glen, the titular Adam Bede is a humble carpenter, enamored of the beautiful but shallow Hetty Sorel (Patsy Kensit). Surrendering to the "political correctness" of her times, Hetty spurns Adam in favor of a wealthy marriage to a nobleman, Lord Arthur (James Wilby). Though he is deeply hurt by this, Adam never relinquishes his love for Hetty and spends the balance of the story trying to win her back in his own single-minded, diligent fashion. Counterbalancing the romantic melodrama is the calm, good-hearted presence of Adam's erstwhile sweetheart, Dinah Morris (Susannah Harker), perhaps the only character in the novel without an agenda. Adapted for television by Maggie Wadey, Adam Bede made its BBC debut in 1991, then aired as part of the PBS anthology Masterpiece Theatre on March 1, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patsy Kensit, James Wilby, (more)
- 1991
The British producers of the internationally popular Upstairs, Downstairs were responsible for The House of Eliott. Set in the 1920s and 1930s, this series opened with a two-hour installment; all subsequent episodes ran 60 minutes. Two sisters, Beatrice (Stella Gonet) and Evangeline (Louise Lombard), are left penniless when their wealthy, philandering father dies. Unable to rely on their inheritance as they'd planned to do, Beatrice and Evangeline go into the dressmaking business; before long, the "House of Eliott" is the smartest, most prestigious establishment in London. The series traces the personal and professional trials and tribulations of the sisters throughout England, Europe and Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
The made-for-cable Bejewelled stars Emma Samms as a museum curator. Entrusted with collection of valuable jewels, she heads to London. Here she is obligated to fend off any number of potential thieves. It is also up to her to determine whom she can trust and whom she can not. Dennis Lawson, Jade Maigri, Aeryk Egan, Dirk Benedict costar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
In this loose adaptation of Mark Twain's biting satire, a hip little girl from the 1980s somehow ends up in medieval England and there has many magical adventures. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Made for British television, Act of Will focuses on three generations of women in a proud, indomitable family. Australian-born director Don Sharp brings to his soap-opera material the same energy and vitality that he'd previously lavished on such theatrical features as Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and Hennessy (1985). Since a portion of the production money was ponied up by Hollywood, American actor Peter Coyote is given a crucial role in the World War II sequences. Among the distaff cast members are the always welcome Jean Marsh (Upstairs, Downstairs), Victoria Tennant (the former Mrs. Steve Martin) and Elizabeth Hurley (who, as of this writing at least, is the girlfriend of Hugh Grant). Act of Will received its widest American exposure on public and cable television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
In the conclusion of the four-part story "Battlefield," the ages-old battle for possession of the Sword Excalibur continues to rage on -- this time with dangerously high-tech weapons -- in the England of the 1990s. According to the scenario at hand, the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) is Merlin and Ace (Sophie Aldred) is the Lady of the Lake -- but who, pray tell, has been "cast" as King Arthur? This question must be answered before the sorceress Morgaine (Jean Marsh) is able to lay claim to Excalibur by unleashing the dreaded Destroyer of Worlds. Originally telecast on September 27, 1989, "Battlefield, Episode 4" was written by Ben Aaronovitch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, (more)
- 1989
With episode one of the four-part "Battlefield," Doctor Who launched its 26th (and thus far final) season. The Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) travel to the England of the not-too-distant future, arriving on the battlefield where King Arthur once battled Mordred over possession of the sword Excalibur. He soon discovers that this ancient war is far from over and that a UNIT convoy headed by stalwart Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) is in danger of being destroyed -- not only by a group of extra-dimensional villains, but also by galloping inflation. Jean Marsh of Upstairs, Downstairs fame, who previously appeared in the 1965 Doctor Who adventure "The Dalek Masterplan," is here cast as the sorceress Morgaine. Originally telecast on September 6, 1989, "Battlefield, Episode 1" was written by Ben Aaronovitch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, (more)
- 1989
In the third episode of the four-part story "Battlefield," the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), armed with the powers of Merlin, squares off against the minions of Mordred (Christopher Bowen) on the same battlefield where the battle for possession of the sword Excalibur was fought centuries before. Meanwhile, the Doctor's friend, Ace (Sophie Aldred), and extra-dimensional warrior Shou Yuing (Ling Tai) are trapped in a hotel room, faced with dangers ranging from the rampaging sorceress Morgaine (Jean Marsh) to an all-out nuclear holocaust. Originally telecast on September 20, 1989, "Battlefield, Episode 3" was written by Ben Aaronovitch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, (more)
- 1989
In the second episode of the four-part story "Battlefield," the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) discovers that the long-ago battle between King Arthur and Mordred of possession of the sword Excalibur has spilled over into the 20th century. A group of warriors from another dimension insist that the Doctor is actually the ancient wizard Merlin -- a conclusion also jumped to by the resurrected Mordred (Christopher Bowen). Meanwhile, the Doctor's friends, Ace (Sophie Aldred) and the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), face their own separate perils. Jean Marsh of Upstairs, Downstairs fame, who previously appeared in the 1965 Doctor Who adventure "The Dalek Masterplan," is here cast as the sorceress Morgaine. Originally telecast on September 13, 1989, "Battlefield, Episode 2" was written by Ben Aaronovitch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, (more)
- 1989
Danny, the Champion of the World is set in rural England. Nasty country squire Robbie Coltrane, who owns half the land, covets the other half. His principal opponents are a father-and-son team of farmers. The warm relationship between the two "good guys" hardly needs to be forced, since the roles are played by Jeremy Irons and his real-life son Samuel. Cyril Cusack and Jean Marsh also appear in this colorful comedy-drama. Produced for British television, Danny, the Champion of the World was based on a story by Roald Dahl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
This version of the classic tale of estranged twin brothers, one good and one evil, whose lives and swords cross as adults, was made for British television. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Another of the many Sidney Sheldon novels given the TV-miniseries treatment in the 1970s and '80s, Master of the Game yielded a three-part, nine-hour extravaganza, with enough corporate and romantic intrigue to fill an entire television season. Covering nearly 100 years, the story (which remained astonishingly faithful to the book) begins in the late 19th century, when ruthless young Scottish entrepreneur Jamie McGregor (Ian Charleson) emigrates to South Africa, in hopes of accumulating enough wealth and power to get even with his longtime enemy, Dutch merchant Van der Merwe (Donald Pleasence). Thanks to an extremely prolific diamond mine, the money comes quickly -- as does vengeance, when McGregor deflowers Van der Merwe's convent-educated daughter, Margaret (Cherie Lunghi). The result of this indiscretion is a daughter named Kate (Dyan Cannon), who turns out to be the "Master" of the title. Upon attaining adulthood, Kate assumes control of her father's vast financial empire, ruling her inherited international conglomerate, and her husband, David Blackwell (David Birney), with an iron fist. The story continues into the next several generations, with Kate's lily-livered son, Tony (Harry Hamlin), giving birth to twin daughters, Eve and Alexandra (both played by Liane Langland). One is good, the other evil; the evil twin threatens threaten to destroy everything that Kate has so painstakingly built up. Eventually, they both become the victims of a sneering, malevolent gigolo (Fernando Allende) with a penchant for beating young women senseless. Told in flashback, the narrative comes to a head during Kate's 90th birthday celebration, an event tainted by the efforts of a mysterious killer to wipe the domineering matriarch and her family from the face of the earth. Largely filmed on location, Master of the Game was telecast by CBS from February 19 to 22, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dyan Cannon, Harry Hamlin, (more)
- 1977
Jean Marsh of Upstairs, Downstairs fame guest stars as Hilary Von Kleist, a cousin of the Baldwin sisters. The wife of a German national, Hilary it reluctant to discuss the Nazi domination of her new homeland. Despite this, John-Boy is determined to get the woman's "inside story" for his newspaper. When Hilary sees Jason (Jon Walmsley) in his National Guard uniform, she nearly goes into shock. Now John-Boy's curiosity is truly aroused: What exactly is Hilary's story...and what can she be hiding? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
John Sturges directed this taut adaptation of Jack Higgins' suspense novel about an attempted kidnapping of Winston Churchill by the German high command during World War II. When it is discovered that in November 1943 Winston Churchill is scheduled to spend a weekend in a country home in Norfolk, the Germans plan to kidnap him. Heinrich Himmler (Donald Pleasence), under orders from Hitler, assigns Nazi colonel Max Radl (Robert Duvall) the chore of sneaking the English-hating Irishman Liam Devlin (Donald Sutherland) into the British countryside and arranging for a 16-man task force to be parachuted into the English country town of Sudley Constable, under the auspices of Colonel Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine). The efficient planning works too well, and before long their exactingly perfect timetable begins to come apart. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, (more)
- 1975
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The fifth and final season of Upstairs, Downstairs covers the years 1910 to 1930, bringing the saga of the Bellamy household to a close. So much time has to be dealt with this season that the producers expanded the episode output from 13 to 16 hour-long episodes. And because virtually every one of those episodes deals with the events of a single year, the writers must for the most part abandon the "serialization" format in favor of self-contained plotlines. As the season begins, James Bellamy (Simon Williams), seriously wounded in WW1, has been invalided out of the service. The injuries sustained by James are compounded by the emotional impact of the death from influenza of his wife Hazel. Thoughout the rest of the season, James will desperately cast about for a purpose in life, ultimately entering into a "surefire" stock-speculation scheme that will bring financial ruin to the Bellamys and precipitate James' premature demise. Meanwhile, James' father Richard (David Langton), whose first wife Marjorie went down with the "Titanic" in 1912, marries Virginia Hamilton (Hannah Gordon), a war widow with two children of her own. Richard's ward Georgina (Leslie-Anne Down) returns from an extended stay in America in 1924, as rumors buzz about head butler Hudson (Gordon Jackson) and new housemaid Lily (Karen Dotrice); after a desultory romance with James and a tragic accident which nearly ruins her future, Georgina will eventually wed Robert Stockbridge (Anthony Andrews), the son of a family of noblemen. In 1925, Member of Parliament Richard Bellamy is appointed Britain's Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs; and the following year, the "upstairs" and "downstairs" factions of the Bellamy household are virtually torn asunder by the General Strike of 1926. In the series' now-legendary final episode, head maid Rose (Jean Marsh) tearfully wanders through the empty halls of 165 Eaton, wistfully recalling the highlights--and a few of the lowlights--of the past 27 years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Jackson, Jean Marsh, (more)
- 1974
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The fourth season of the British drama series Upstairs, Downstairs takes place during the war years of 1914 through 1918, a time of great anxiety and upheaval for England in general and the Bellamy household at 165 Eaton Place in particular. The season begins as Hazel Bellamy (Meg Wynn Owen), wife of James Bellamy (Simon Williams), agrees to take in a family of Belgian refugees. Not so politely inclined towards foreigners is the surprisingly emotional head butler Hudson (Gordon Jackson), whose anti-German hysteria all but tears the Bellamy's servant staff apart in the episode "The Beastly Hun" (for which actor Jackson won an Emmy). Maid Daisy (Jacqueline Tong) weds footman Edward (Christopher Beeny) just before he marches off to war; he will return a shellshocked shadow of his former self. Georgina (Leslie Anne-Down), the ward of James Bellamy's father Richard (David Langton), takes nursing training, while scullery maid Ruby (Jenny Tomasin), heretofore dismissed as a dimwit, demonstrates her patriotism and resilience by going to work at a munitions factory. Also, head maid Rose (Jean Marsh) is unexpectedly reunited with her erstwhile Australian sweetheart Gregory (Keith Barron), who is ultimately killed in battle. While James is serving his country in France, Hazel begins a platonic friendship with young airman Jack Dyson (Andrew Ray), and later agonizes when James is reported missing in action. The war comes home in spectacular fashion when 165 Eaton is damaged by a German bomb. And in the episode "Another Year", Hannah Gordon is introduced in the role of Virginia Hamilton, the widow of a Naval officer. The season finale is a riveting combination of happiness and heartbreak: Though seriously injured in the war, James manages to return to the arms of his wife Hazel--who, unfortunately, has become one of the victims of the deadly international influenza epidemic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Jackson, Jean Marsh, (more)
- 1973
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The third season of the British drama series Upstairs, Downstairs sweeps past the Edwardian era to cover the pre-war years between 1912 and 1914. Because actress Rachel Gurney had already announced her intention to leave the series, the producers decided to provide the character of Lady Marjorie Bellamy with a truly unforgettable exit, and to that end took advantage of the 1912 setting in the Emmy-nominated season opener "Miss Forrest". The title refers to the newest member of the Bellamy household, Richard Bellamy's ultra-efficient secretary Hazel Forrest (Meg Wynn Owen), whom Richard (David Langton) hires just before his wife Marjorie is to visit their daughter Elizabeth (played during the first two seasons by the now-departed Nicola Pagett) in America. And how will Majorie cross the Atlantic. Via the new, unsinkable ocean liner, the "Titanic". . . After the death of Marjorie, Hazel becomes unofficial head of the Bellamy household, eventually marrying Richard's troubled son James (Simon Williams). Also joining the household this season are Richard's pretty ward Georgina Worsley (Leslie-Anne Down) and new maid Daisy (Jacqueline Tong), who will fall in love with footman Edward (Christopher Beeny). In other developments, warm-hearted head maid Rose (Jean Marsh), taking pity on impoverished ex-servant Alfred (George Innes)--who left the Bellamy household in disgrace in Season One--allows him to briefly stay in the cellar, a generous gesture that endangers the lives of everyone at 165 Eaton; later, Rose considers the prospect of marriage to Australian sheep farmer Gregory Wilmott (Keith Barron); head butler Hudson (Gordon Jackson) is torn between loyalty to the Bellamys and his own ambition when he is offered a job at the country estate of Richard Bellamy's old friend Bunny Newbury (John Quayle); and Richard himself is innocently swept up in a financial scandal that nearly destroys his political career. The season ends with the Emmy-winning episode "The Sudden Storm" as cook Mrs. Bridges (Angela Baddeley), of all people, is squired by an eligible old bachelor--while outside the relative comfort of the Bellamy home, war clouds are gathering in Europe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Jackson, Jean Marsh, (more)
- 1972
Inasmuch as Season One of the British drama series Upstairs, Downstairs covered the years 1903 to 1909, logic dictates that the second season should have moved on to the second decade of the 20th century. However, the produced decided for the time being to keep the action concentrated in the Edwardian era, thus Season Two was set between 1908 to 1909, necessitating a backward leap within the months occurring between episodes 12 and 13 of Season One. This resulted in a bit of confusion, especially when the focus was on Elizabeth Bellamy (Nicola Pagget) and her troubled relationship with new husband Lawrence Kirbridge (Ian Ogilvy). Proper continuity was restored when the first two seasons of Upstairs, Downstairs were merged into one for American TV play in 1974; unfortunately, in the process 13 of the combined 26 episodes were shelved, not to be seen in the U.S. for several years. Because of a prior theatrical commitment, Simon Williams makes only two appearances this season in the role of the irresponsible James Bellamy--but those appearances prove highly significant to the overall scheme of things, as James is faced with the prospect of illegitimate fatherhood as the result of his backstairs liason with reckless housemaid Sarah (Pauline Collins), and later throws the Bellamy household into turmoil when he returns from India with a new fiancée, Phyllis Kingman (Delia Lindsay), in tow. New to the cast this season are Jenny Tomasin in the comic role of dull-witted scullery maid Ruby; and John Alderton as the Bellamy's chauffeur Thomas Watkins, who after being offered up as a possible romantic interest for head maid Rose (Jean Marsh), ends up leaving 165 Eaton Place to take up housekeeping with the redoubtable Sarah, who is once again "with child" (namely, Thomas'). The futher adventures of this couple will be chronicled in the 1979 spinoff series Thomas and Sarah. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Jackson, Jean Marsh, (more)
Charlotte Bronte's classic Victorian novel is once again put through the paces, this time by Delbert Mann, in this stodgy Masterpiece Theater style television adaptation. Susannah York is Jane Eyre, the orphan girl who secures a position as a governess to the ward of Edward Rochester (George C. Scott), lord of an English manor house called Thornfield, whose halls hide a dark and sinister secret. Jane and the moody and the tyrannical Rochester fall in love and agree to marry. But at their wedding ceremony, Rochester is revealed to have been already married. Suddenly his dark past comes crashing in on both himself and the innocent Jane. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George C. Scott, Susannah York, (more)
